astro
catdynamics | October 21, 2008More news on the NASA conference ban for 2009, and the possible impacts.
The source of the conference amendment (sec 1121 of HR 6063) is Sen Coburn, apparently, as noted in comments in the previous post.
NASAwatch links to the NASA memos on this policy
Two things are unambiguous:
NASA direct payment for conference activity is virtually prohibited, not just because of the spending cap, but also because of the reporting and audit requirements.
Secondly, NASA civil servant spending on conference travel is tightly capped and will be severly curtailed. The memos suggest that priority will be…
catdynamics | October 20, 2008Last wednesday engineers switched the data management system on the Hubble to the spare "B-side" and the instruments sprung back to life.
The old Wide Field/Planetary Camera (2) and the Near Infrared Camera and Multi Object Spectrograph came back to life.
The someone decided to turn on the Advanced Camera for Surveys Solar Blind Channel and it popped again.
Back in safe-mode, back to square one.
Aaaarrrrgggghhhhhh!
"...an anomaly occurred during the last steps of the commanding to the Advanced Camera for Surveys. At 1:40 pm, when the low voltage power supply to the ACS Solar Blind Channel…
catdynamics | October 18, 2008Carnival of Space Time!
Again? Already?
Number 74, guess, at Lounge of the Lab Lemming.
catdynamics | October 15, 2008NASA is powering HST control electronics up again, right about now
cf nasaspaceflight.com and spaceflight.com
short version: the telescope is communicating, diagnostics look good and the switch over was today.
Science operation expected to resume by friday.
Now, if I counted correctly, even if NICMOS comes back on after its warmup (ie if the ice suspected of blocking the detectors has sublimated), the science pipeline is still going to run out - just not enough WFPC2, NIC and FGS targets queued up if the SM-4 doesn't go until Feb '09 or later.
STSCI is going to have to either revisit Cycle…
catdynamics | October 14, 2008A literal reading of the NASA Authorization Act implies a significant cutback of astronomy conferences in 2009.
Warning e-mail, pending clarification, has gone out, and people have already done some canceling of planned travel.
Something bad snuck into the H.R. 6063 NASA Authorization Act (2008) [static link to pdf] during Senate/House conference (see original text here).
Specifically section 1121.
SEC. 1121. LIMITATION ON FUNDING FOR CONFERENCES.
(a) IN GENERAL- There are authorized to be appropriated not more than $5,000,000 for any expenses related to conferences, including conference…
catdynamics | October 10, 2008Julianne at CV has the latest news
To cut a long story short, they think they know what the problem is and they're going ahead with the switch to the spare "side B" electronics.
Fine Guidance Sensor astrometry programs are contuing, and I hear that NICMOS will be warmed up and they think it will come back on when the Science Data Formatter is functioning again.
Given the delay to Cycle 17 and Servicing Mission 4, don't be surprised if there is a small mid-cycle call for proposals for NICMOS and WFPC2 science only to fill the observing schedule. I'd guess either before christmas or just after…
catdynamics | October 8, 2008Adler Planetarium is getting a new projector.
They are not amused that the appropriation they got to upgrade their good ol' Zeiss Mark VI projector is being used as political bait
Adler is a very nice planetarium, really, I visited them during "Pale Blue Dot III", and they deserve a Universarium IX like the Hayden or Beijing planetariums.
It is a jolly nice projector and not to be proxmired. This was a very silly thing for McCain to do.
Jotman has some more
catdynamics | October 6, 2008Small asteroid hits Earth.
As predicted.
Asteroid 2008 TC3 was just discovered and found to have 99.8% probability of hitting the Earth, most likely above Sudan, this morning. As reported widely on the news.
Here is a nifty pre-impact track image of TC3 and another one
Spaceweather.com reports, after dutch meterorologist Jacob Kuiper (any relation?) notified KLM crews to lookout for fireballs, that a crew reported a flash north of their track, possibly consistent with impact.
With nifty image of plane location and possibly impact location (click through to see proper image)
h/t syzdekistan
catdynamics | October 2, 2008The NASA Astrobiology Institute has announced the selection of the new Centers chosen in response to the 5th Co-operative Agreement Notice.
Ten centers were funded, joining the 4 pre-existing centers from CAN-4.
Here is the announcement
The new centers are:
University of Hawaii
Arizona State University
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institution
Pennsylvania State University
Georgia Institute of Technology
NASA Ames
NASA Goddard
JPL I
JPL II
Yay us!
Disclaimer: I am a co-PI of the Penn State Astrobiology Research Center.
PSARC - the Penn State Astrobiology…
catdynamics | October 2, 2008Last week we had an inaugural meeting for our new "Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds".
There were some interesting talks and new planets aplenty
Mayor was there and presented some preliminary results, and hinted at upcoming, but as yet unpublished results.
Current radial velocity sensitivity is better than 1 m/sec on the HARPS instrument, over a 4 year baseline, so far.
They are doing a survey of a sub-sample of 200 stars from the CORALIE survey, with high cadence - doing frequent observing over several nights and then longer intervals, but adapting to hints of signals. This gets a…
catdynamics | September 29, 2008Total failure of Control Unit/Science Data Formatter - side A on saturday,
no data being downlinked.
Attempt to switch to untested side B soon, which could restore functionality.
Also considering emergency repair as part of SM4, SM-4 is delayed.
The failure is in an electronics module.
The failure precludes science data communication to the ground or retrieval from onboard storage.
Module has redundant backup which is untested.
It may be necessary to do emergency replacement of the module if possible, on the next servicing mission, SM4.
SM4 is postponed while the backup module is tested and…
catdynamics | September 29, 2008Peter Coles do be blogging now
Moshe has become co-blogger at Shores of the Dirac Sea
h/t Cosmic Variance
catdynamics | September 29, 2008The Observable Universe: XKCD
Wow.
From XKCD - the smartest web comic around
catdynamics | September 28, 2008Falcon 1 makes orbit.
SpaceX light launcher has finally made orbit on fourth try.
Good one.
Press info here
165 kg dummy payload this time...
catdynamics | September 26, 2008google "CfA"
1. Chartered Finanical Analyst Institute Home
2. Chartered Finanical Analyst (Program)
3. Cat Fanciers' Association
4. Cat Fanciers' Association (Breeds)
5. Center for Astrophysics
at least it beats out the Consumer Federation of America and the California Faculty Association
catdynamics | September 24, 2008after hitting a minimum between solar cycles and a zero sunspot count for a brief period, Cycle 24 appears to have started
From Soho
Soho magnetogram - 24 Sep 2008
Nice big spot on upper right
Here is emission image
compare with 4 days ago...
Here is the current magnetogram movie - it is very interesting, shows the spot emerging into the photosphere a couple of days ago, it does not rotate into view (caveat: dynamic page, view only good this week).
Cool.
This is the movie archive - look at Sep 20-24
NASA is so excited they put out a press release
catdynamics | September 22, 2008MacArthur Fellows to be announced Sep 23rd
Looks like Rocky Mountain News accidentally broke the embargo...
Andrea Ghez and Adam Riess get a MacArthur.
Wow!
h/t Quantum Pontiff
catdynamics | September 22, 2008Incoherent Ponderer points out the real serious consequences of the financial crisis
You thought the old professors would finally retire and make way for y'all young whippersnappers?
Not without some retirement assets...
wot? you did all move into TIPS last year, right?